Thursday, January 19, 2012

Go is a family game

Enjoying a go game on my new go board with my new go stones with my (same) wife. We were playing at Sharon Go Club, at Walpole Mall's Barnes and Noble. My wife took nine stones.

(sorry for picture quality; taken with my old phone's camera)

Close to the end of the game:

My wife won by 4.5 points. Go wife!

Speaking of the new stones, I am getting used to the feel of single-convex stones. Although they do not produce the same "click" as the double-convex stones do (at least in my hands and on cheaper shin-kaya boards), their sound is deeper and somehow richer (one must learn not to slam them on the board as one does with the double-convex stones, but release them off one's finger nail in a double movement). When one puts them down, one gets a satisfying feeling of "completeness" as they snap onto the board without wobbling. Placing these stones on the board is less aggressive, but more precise and elegant. People have said that to them these stones look too flat and lifeless, but to me, they look somehow more secure and hugging the board.

All this discussion about the feel and look of the stones may seem superficial (and it is), but Go is called the game of "hand-talk" not without a reason. This is one of the many examples when a good medium facilitates the flow and expression of thought.

During the game analysis we did make use of the stones' single-convex feature by placing them on the opposite sides to mark the variation moves.

Anyway, to each his own, of course. I am considering ordering yunzi double-convex stones from Yellow Mountain Imports in the future.

Speaking of Yunzi stones, one has to make sure to wash and oil them in order to enjoy their texture and look fully. More than complete instructions here.